The present application claims priority to Republic of Korea Patent Application No. 2001-78227, filed Dec. 11, 2001, and to Republic of Korea Patent Application No. 2002-20892, filed Apr. 17, 2002, which applications are incorporated herein fully by this reference.
The present invention relates generally to a bottled water discharging apparatus, and more particularly to a bottled water discharging apparatus, in which a water bottle support is put on a water bottle to prevent the leakage of bottled water, and a packing cover is provided to prevent the contact of the bottled water with outside air so that bacterial contamination of the bottled water is prevented.
As well known, bottled water is purified water that contains inorganic substance, such as minerals, and is therefore beneficial to the human body. However, the bottled water may be easily contaminated with harmful bacteria in the process of being stored in and discharged from a water bottle, differently from boiled water.
In the meantime, bottled water is delivered to a home or business place in a scaled water bottle, and the water bottle is opened and inserted into the opening of a bottled water dispenser to supply hot or cold water. When the water bottle is inserted into the bottled water dispenser, bottled water may be easily spilt from the water bottle. Additionally, while the water bottle is being inserted into the bottled water dispenser, contaminated air may be easily infiltrated into the water bottle, so bottled water contained in the water bottle may be easily contaminated with bacteria.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bottled water discharging apparatus, in which an air inflow pipe is arranged in tight contact with the inside surface of a water bottle support without exposure to the outside, a packing cover including a packing member is put on the opening of a bottled water dispenser to be brought into tight contact with the water bottle support and a manifold connected to hot and cold water containers is inserted into the center of the packing cover to lift up the closing member of the water bottle support by the upper end of the manifold so as to selectively open and close the water outlet of the water bottle support. Accordingly, there can be provided the bottled water discharging apparatus, in which the opening of the bottled water dispenser is completely sealed by the packing cover to prevent bacterial contamination, the air inlet pipe is not exposed to the outside to present a neat appearance and not to require the alteration of an existing bottled water dispenser, and the manifold is inserted into the packing cover to eliminate a separate water outlet pipe drawn from the bottled water discharging apparatus and therefore provide a compact water discharging structure.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a bottled water discharging apparatus, including a water bottle support put on the mouth of a water bottle, the water bottle support including a sterilizing means, an air inflow pipe bent to come into tight contact with the inside surface of the water bottle support, a lid member having a water outlet, a closing member designed to selectively open and close the water outlet, and an elastic member arranged to elastically support the closing member, a hopper-shaped packing cover put on the opening of a bottled water dispenser to accommodate the water bottle support put on the water bottle, the packing cover being provided at its edge with a flange to be held by the opening of the bottled water dispenser, the flange being integrated with a packing member, and a manifold tightly inserted into the center of the bottom of the packing cover to be connected to hot and cold water containers, the manifold being upwardly projected from the bottom of the packing cover to lift up the closing member of the water bottle support and open the water outlet of the water bottle support.